Using PDO Threads for Laugh Lines

Author

Dr. Stephen Cosentino

Forget Botox® and dermal fillers. The hottest minimally invasive cosmetic treatment right now uses polydioxanone (PDO) threads.

These short, thin, durable filaments can address a huge range of cosmetic complaints. They can reduce fine facial lines and wrinkles, smooth deeper nasolabial folds and marionette lines, tighten sagging skin, and produce a lifting effect in the cheeks and brow.

One of the most popular new-ish PDO thread treatments targets laugh lines, also known as smile lines. These creases appear on either side of the mouth and, though subtle at first, become deeper and more worn over time.

PDO Threads for Laugh Lines: Do They Work?

When used in combination with hyaluronic acid filler, PDO threading is an effective treatment for laugh lines and a lower-risk alternative to more invasive treatments, including plastic surgery. However, it’s not appropriate for all patients.

Should You Get a PDO Thread Procedure for Your Laugh Lines?

A PDO thread procedure is appropriate for patients with deeper laugh lines. If you’d like to correct your laugh lines while they’re still fine and subtle — typically within a few years of first noticing them — your provider will likely recommend hyaluronic acid filler rather than a PDO thread procedure.

This is because dermal fillers work “indirectly,” by adding volume deeper down in the skin. That added volume helps “push out” lines on the surface, making deeper lines shallower and completely obscuring ones that aren’t very deep to begin with.

By contrast, PDO threads work at the surface, smoothing out lines by stretching the top layers of skin. The type of PDO thread used in laugh line correction also stimulates collagen production, which takes longer to produce results (typically several weeks to months) and produces more subtle results in general.

What to Expect From a PDO Laugh Line Procedure

Using PDO threads to reduce laugh lines is not technically a PDO thread lift, but providers tend to offer both and utilize the same skills in each. Always work with a licensed, board-certified professional who has completed an advanced thread lift training course.

The procedure itself is straightforward. Your provider will use smooth threads (as opposed to the rougher barbed threads better suited to lifting procedures) to tighten the skin and begin the collagen-stimulating process. Depending on the extent of your laugh lines, anywhere from 50 to 100 individual threads may be required.

PDO threading requires only local anesthetic and can be completed as an outpatient procedure. You can resume normal activity soon after the procedure, though some swelling and bruising may persist. In conjunction with subcutaneous fillers, results can last 12 months or longer.

Possible Side Effects and Complications

PDO thread procedures are considered low-risk in comparison to plastic surgery. PDO threads for laugh lines are no exception — the most common risks here include post-procedure swelling, bruising, and minor bleeding. Generally, these issues resolve themselves within a few days to a week at most.

Occasionally, threads can dislodge and protrude from the skin. A follow-up appointment may be required to remove them.

In rarer cases, skin infection can develop. Watch for persistent redness or tenderness, cloudy discharge, and skin that’s warm to the touch. Seek medical attention if these symptoms spread or don’t resolve within a few days, or if you begin running a fever.